The President issues a proclamation each year stating, “With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday.” [emphasis mine]

No one observing Veterans Day this November 11 will mistake the proceedings to be dedicated to the cause of world peace. Celebrating Veterans American-style means celebrating war and the people who wage it. It is who we are.

The concept of war has been present in human civilisation for as far back as history stretches. From conflicts that happened centuries ago, to more recent ones, there are a myriad of a different reasons humans have gone to war. In fact there’s really only one constant each time armies are gathered to fight against an enemy, real or imagined, and that is that man has knowingly and willingly put the lives of other humans on the line.

What do I mean by that? Simply and topically, considering Remembrance Sunday has just passed, we do not learn. The very essence of Remembrance Sunday is to remember the individuals who died while at war: to remember and learn. Is there any point in remembering the dead at all if we do not learn from our past mistakes?

The day becomes worth very little if we do not look at the pain and hurt that was inflicted on both soldiers and civilians and take away a valuable lesson of the complete futility of war.